


and in the moonlight (i'll give you the pieces of my heart)

by lovebeyondmeasure



Series: her heart like the ocean, his heart like the sun [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fire Lord Zuko, Fluff, Love Confessions, Post-Series, Tumblr Prompt, Well he's trying anyway, nothing happens but everything happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-03 17:44:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12151653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovebeyondmeasure/pseuds/lovebeyondmeasure
Summary: “Do you want me to stay as an advisor, or as something more?” she blurted out.“I, uh. I really- I don’t- I. Want you to stay because you want to stay,” Zuko finally managed. “Here. With… me.”Zuko and Katara have a late night conversation.





	and in the moonlight (i'll give you the pieces of my heart)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cheschi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheschi/gifts).



Zuko stared at the moon rising over the palace, the silver light catching on the sharp planes of his face. He sighed heavily, his thoughts a tangle.

The door behind him swung open. “Hello, Zuko,” Katara said. “Is everything alright?”

He bowed his head. “Fine,” he said shortly.

She leaned against the railing beside him. “Mind if I join you?”

“Fine,” he repeated.

“Oh,” Katara said. “If you’re, you know, angsting, I won’t bother you.”

His head whipped around to stare at Katara. “If I’m what?”

“Angsting. You know, obsessing over your own perceived faults and mistakes, thinking about every possible worst case scenario, shouting emotionally at the sky?”

“I don’t angst!” Zuko was horrified. He was worried about questions of morality and she thought he was being bratty?

“Sure you do,” she smiled. “But that’s okay. It’s probably good for the Fire Lord to consider worst case scenarios sometimes.” She bumped his shoulder with her own. “As long as you don’t do it all the time.”

He stared back at the moon. She made everything seem so petty, and so clear, all at once.

“Katara,” he said, clearing his throat. “I was wondering, if, uh.”

“Yes?” 

“If you’d consider. Staying.”

“Staying?”

“Here. With me.” Zuko could feel a blush burning up his neck. He couldn’t look at her. “I mean, as a counselor. An advisor. I really, uh, really value your input. You’re smart and you make things… easier. For me.”

She was quiet. Zuko started backpedaling. “But only if you want to! I don’t want to, you know, pressure you, if you want to leave-”

“Do you want me to stay just as an advisor?” she asked suddenly. 

“What?”

“Do you want me to stay as an advisor, or,” and now he could see her blush, too, “do you want me to stay as a, a…”

They looked at each other. Zuko was almost afraid to try to finish her sentence. Was she asking…?

“Do you want me to stay as an advisor, or as something more?” she blurted out. 

“I, uh. I really- I don’t- I. Want you to stay because you want to stay,” Zuko finally managed. “Here. With… me.”

“What about Aang?” she whispered, turning to look out at the moon. 

“What about him?” Zuko asked, leaning next to her once more. “I’m not asking him. I’m asking you.” He could feel his blush receding, his confidence growing. “Katara. Please.”

She turned back to him, and the words caught in his throat as he stared into her eyes. “Stay with me.”

“Stay with the Fire Lord?” she asked quietly, not breaking eye contact.

“No. Yes. I mean,” he tried. “I am the Fire Lord. I can’t change that. But I’m not… asking as the Fire Lord. Right now, I’m just Zuko. And I want you to stay.”

She blinked slowly, biting her lower lip. Zuko pulled his eyes from her mouth, searching her face for some indication of her thoughts.

“You don’t have to decide now,” he went on, confidence ebbing as fast as it had come. “You can- you have plenty of time, you can decide whenever you want, I don’t want to pressure you, you should make your own choices-”

Katara laid her hand on his arm, cutting off his flow of words.

“Yes,” she said into his eyes. “I’ll stay.”

“Really?” Zuko felt lightheaded. He hadn’t expected it to go this well. Things in his life never went this well.

“Yes,” she repeated. “You treat me like my own person. You respect my choices and listen to my advice. You…” she turned away again, her voice growing softer. “You value me.”

“What about Aang?” he returned her own words to her. “What will you tell him?”

She sighed. “I don’t know. He wants to rebuild the Air Temples, and I don’t know… That’s not the kind of thing I can show him how to do, is it? He doesn’t need me for that. But he’s so sure he loves me, and honestly, he’s still a kid. I don’t want to hurt him.”

Zuko didn’t have anything to say to that. He placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him.

“It’s okay, Zuko. I’ll talk to him.”

“You’ll say the right thing,” he said. “When the time comes. You’re good at that.”

“Is that why you want me to stay?” She was trying for a teasing tone, but it fell slightly flat.

“Katara,” Zuko rasped, “I want you to stay because no one can do what you do. Because… you make me better.”

Her eyes were shining in the moonlight. Zuko swallowed. “I make better decisions when you’re around to yell at me.” Her startled laugh wound its way into Zuko’s heart and curled up there. “You know what I mean. You make me work harder and pay closer attention and you always ask the right questions.”

“Always?” she asked, smiling again.

“Okay,” he smiled back, “maybe not always. Some of those council meetings will haunt me forever. But,” he went on, more seriously. “You are so smart. And your heart is the size of the ocean. The way you love my people…. I wish I could love them like that. I wish....”

“What, Zuko?”

“I wish you would,” he swallowed again. This conversation had gotten away from him. “Maybe. Uh.”

She looked suddenly vulnerable. Zuko forged ahead, going for broke. “I want you to stay because you’re smart and you’re beautiful and I. Uh. I’m. Dammit.” He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t say it. She was going to get mad at him now.

“Zuko,” she said softly. “I. Um. Me too.”

He turned to look at her, heart curiously buoyant in his chest.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Maybe.” She looked away, back at the moon. “I don’t know. But I’d like to find out. I think.” Her blush was back. So was his. 

Zuko, daring, leaned closer along the railing, letting their shoulders press together. “I’d like to find out, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> My prompt was "zutara + angst" and I didn't want to write angst so I just referenced angst and then it turned into this, my goodness, please save me from myself.
> 
> There's a prequel chapter to this in the works, subscribe to the series if you're interested! I may write more in this universe if people are interested.
> 
> My sincerest thanks to raisindeatre, for being a wonderful inspiration, beta, and cheerleader for this fic; and to cheschi, without whom it would never have been written. Thank you, ladies.
> 
> For more prompts, feelings, and nonsense, you can always find me @ lovebeyondmeasure.tumblr.com


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